The present invention relates to a roller bushing, and more particularly to a fastening device for the rollers of the bushing. Such a bushing is used, for example, in a universal joint.
A universal joint bushing or other roller bushing typically includes a central pin, an outer bushing surrounding and spaced from the pin for defining an annular space betwen the pin and the outer bushing, and a complement of roller elements, e.g. cylindrical roller elements, disposed in the annular space and rollable as the outer bushing rotates with respect to the pin. The rollers of the bushing and with them the outer bushing and the pin must be fastened to prevent undesired axial shifting of the rollers. Further, it is desirable for the annular space in which the rollers are disposed to be sealed generally from the environment.
Fastening devices of the above-mentioned type have been used for a long time. For bushings of large wall thickness, the axial fastening is generally produced by the spring action of retainer rings or by the snapping of side disks into a groove produced by machining. This results in considerable expense for manufacture, because additional elements are generally necessary to receive an outer seal. For bushings produced by non-cutting processes, the axial fastening is effected predominantly by plastic deformation of the bushing at the open end. Insofar as an inner seal and/or spring elements for the axial clamping of the rollers are present, the fastening is possible only after the insertion of these elements. This is disadvantageous from a manufacturing standpoint. In addition, there is often poor precision in manufacture, which makes precise axial guidance of the rollers or the application of a precise initial tension difficult.